Our first visit to Costa Rica, at the end of a trip also encompassing El Salvador and Guatemala, was completed in mid February this year. Offering a chance to witness the much vaunted expansion of micromills in the country, it showed how through handling all aspects of the process from cherry production to exportable product, many Costa Rican farmers have managed to bring an element of control to their business; cutting out the middle-men that cost money and can greatly affect the quality of the coffee produced.

This particular selection was processed at the Santa Rosa 1900 micromill, somewhat predictably located at 1,900 metres elevation in the Leon Cortes area of Tarrazu. These Red Catuaí variety cherries are grown at Efrain Naranjo’s farm, La Plaza, and are harvested by family members and local pickers when optimum ripeness has occurred.

Using a Penagos EcoPulper machine allows the producers themselves to control the amount of sticky fruit flesh that is mechanically removed from the encased seeds of the cherries. In this case around 70-80% is stripped off before the parchment-covered seeds are soaked under fresh water to allow the remaining fruit flesh to loosen and wash away. From here, the coffee is taken to raised drying beds and dried in approximately 8-10 days before being readied for drymilling and export. More shade-covered drying beds are being added to the mill, allowing for a slower drying process, which we anticipate will further increase complexity and clarity of flavour.

The resulting coffee makes an incredibly sweet, densely dried fruit flavoured espresso that is rounded, well-balanced, rich and wonderfully satisfying.